The present invention relates to the packaging of electronic equipment and more particularly to an improved panel which provides for alignment and mounting of a printed circuit board within a housing.
Conventional electronic devices typically employ a housing which serves to contain and protect the device electronics. Often, card cages or other structures are integrally formed as a part of the housing or are provided within the housing to retain printed circuit boards, device electronics and modular electronic components. In many types of electronic equipment, including telecommunications equipment, it is necessary to make electrical or optical connections between communication links external to the device and components within the device. In this regard, openings are often provided within one or more panels in the housing to permit such connections to be made. The openings provide access to modular devices mounted to a printed circuit board behind the panel openings, such as port transceivers.
Alternatively, device carriers, such as transceiver carriers may be mounted on a printed circuit board such that transceivers may be inserted into their respective carriers through the openings provided in the panel. The transceivers may include optical or electrical ports for receiving corresponding optical or electrical cables and for coupling communications links to electronics with the device.
In such devices, it is desirable to provide packaging structures which permit ease of assembly, and which securely retain the printed circuit boards in the intended mounting position within the housing following assembly.